The Spot

by Catherine c.

I'm from San Diego.. This was the first hookah place up here for me.. and really?  A hookah spot that doesn't sell alcohol?  They served us TEA?!??! WTF.. Definitely a place for the 18-20 crowd that wants to stay out but has no where else to go.

by Michelle O.

This place is overall not bad if you like to smoke hooka and just relax and have a good time. But they don't even check IDs and you have to legally be 18 to smoke. They also have food that you can get besides just smoking. This place is located in a quad upstairs, the way it's set up is ok. But like i mentioned, it's nice place if you want to be relaxed and just chill with your friends and talk. Hooka bars are overrated and aren't as great as people make them to think. Fun at first but gets old fast. Plus if you don't go with a decent group of people it can get expensive fast if you want a bunch of different tastes of the tobacco ir. strawberry etc,

by Grace P.

ok, so my experience at the spot is actually a lot nicer than a lot of the other people that reviewed here... but i will agree with some that hookah bars do get old fast...but anywho, first of all, we didn't intentionally go for hookah...boyfriend wanted persian food or something and that was the only place that we knew at the moment...i'm sure there are other places that might be better, so people don't bitch and be appalled at what i just wrote (surrenders w/hands up)...but anywho...we just wanted some dinner and so we got there REALLY early like around...8:30-9? so we thought it wasn't even open cuz there was no one there...people start coming in at around 10ish...and then it starts to get packed. anywho...first we started out w/some hummus, which was ok...i've had way better (Even at california pizza kitchen!) it was a bit tOo tangy for me...maybe it's "authentic??" *shrugs shoulders* as for entrees, boyfriend ordered shish kabobs and i ordered Koobideh kabab (ground beef) or whatever they're called...all the entrees come with basmati rice and a side salad. the food was actually REALLY good...very hot and fresh and a LLLOOOTTT of it too. i would actually go back again for the food..and it seems like everyone was drinking tea tonight too, so i guess i'll try that...mmm...as for hookah, i know i said we didn't go for that, but ended up getting one anyways, i think we got kristal...peach and double apple or something, and it was pretty good. it was a good night...

by LM M.

I was worried that with the amount of "hot" (so to speak) SoCal people here, we were going to have a long wait. But things worked out. We waited only about 5-10 minutes as opposed to the 20 they told us. The hosts, for the most part, were nice. The security guys were nice. And our waiter was a cool guy. There's a big screen TV to stare at if there's nothing else for you look at. As for the beverages and hookah, nothing extraordinary. Just something to do when you're dressed up on a late Saturday night.

by roberto p.

I didn't actually go inside so I can only state what I saw from waiting in line. 80% of the customers are people trying to be cool by driving around the parking lot in first gear showing off their exhaust in the car that their parents bought them. After waiting for 30 minutes and having the bouncer (!) give us attitude all night like it was Hollywood. I went their with a friend (female) and the idea was to go somewhere and relax and not be around alcohol. Since it was a Sunday night our choices were slim and she thought this might be ok. Well it wasn't and I will never even go back there.After waiting for 30 minutes and seeing more total losers go in I said we needed to leave. Now let me tell you, I have never walked out of a movie, rarely turn away food at a restaurant and I am pretty easy to please. This place took pride in bringing in bad customers and treating them like garbage. Maybe we didn't look right (both of us are white) or didn't talk to the right person. Either way I strongly recommend against The Spot.

by Pamela V.Vaishali N.Bobak S.

I am normally quite picky about where i go for hookah since I have one at home and normally prefure to just smoke at home with friends. But a few months ago we were celebrating a friends birthday and my bf and I didn't feel like being the hookah tenders for the night so we went out.I was pleasantly surprised by the spot. We went on a Wednesday night so it wasn't that busy. We got one of the couch lounge areas for the seven of us. We got snacks but no meals but the food was amazing. We tried two bowls of shes-ha. The blue mist was not to my liking. But the Mellon mix was one of the best. We had two servers threw our night. I noticed the male servers were more interested in flirting and talking but the women were very good with the hookah and were real sweeties.I have also gone to get sesha when my normal spot was closed for a party. It was decently priced, even if it did take a while.I am not, by all means, an expert on the hookah and can't explain, in great detail, what the meaning of great shisha is. I find that slightly sad since I frequent hookah spots quite often, and I'm quite shameful about it since I'm 24 and most hookah lounges cater to the 18 year old crowd (and younger.)On a whim, (I was visiting one of my good friends in Bakersfield), we decided to check out this lounge. I've heard mixed reviews on it, and I was expecting something far different than what I witnessed. We arrived there quite early, so we didn't have to wait in a long line and face security. I found that oddly funny, since it seemed like a very club-like thing to do. Do they experience numerous rowdy clientele? Now, for the service. It was very prompt. We had a very friendly server, and for the amount of people that were at that place, he checked on us every couple of minutes. I also found it oddly funny that people dress up at a hookah spot. I mean, in Arizona, we find many eighteen year olds dress up as if it were a club but that is mostly on the weekend. We were at The Spot on Thursday. Well, whatever floats your boat. As far as the hookah goes, it was very strong, and it tasted as described. I'm very cynical about hookah, as in most spots that I've been to, the hookah tastes bland and very rough. I felt buzzed after a couple of puffs.If you like relaxed hookah lounges, this isn't the one for you. It was extremely crowded when I went there, they do play a variety of music, and you can overhear other conversations. I also might add, if you're looking for eye-candy, you won't be disappointed. I was salivating over my hookah quite a few times. The bottom line, though, is that it seems you DO have to dress to impress, as everyone is watching you as you walk towards your table. We had a table further in, so that's how I felt like. I've not been to many other hookah lounges in L.A, but I like it. I enjoyed it. I definitely am going there again in a couple of months.4 StarsStopped by here again after the club with my gf and our friends. Last time we were in LA, we were driving here after the club, but the alcohol brought puke-zilla out of our friend, so they missed out. This time, she made it.....I ordered the Spot Cheeseburger, and my gf got the Beef Gyro. Both were VERY good, so were the fries. What is it with late night hookah spots having better burgers than "burger joints"??!!This really is one of the best burgers I've had in my life...It looks like September is a good month for me n burgers! Seriously, I was really drunk, so I took notes in my blackberry in case I passed out and forgot....after figuring out all the misspelled drunk-typed words....all i put next to the "chzbrgt" was "wow"....so there u goThey had some house music playing in the background, and from what my gf and friends said, the flavored tobacco was very good too. Not sure If I'll be back here......the 2nd hand smoke has had me coughin for 6 days and countin....... 4 StarsProbably one of the best places I've been to after 2am to eat.  We came here after going out…

by Daniel A.

Go easy on the Spot.  It's an extension of my backyard.  If I were rating them for me alone this would be an easy five stars, since I have the major plus of being able to walk there.  But doing my best at being objective, I'm still giving them four stars.  Yes the regular crowd can suck, and as is reflected by the low average rating here, they are most certainly not the Yelper type.  But a crucial difference between a hookah bar and an alcohol bar is that at the former you don't mingle.  A hookah bar is a place to enjoy the company of your own friends... you leave with the same people you came with.  Think of it as being one notch between a restaurant and a bar.  It's a something to do, a reason to leave the house, but you can know you won't regret anything tomorrow morning.  I actually give props to the Spot for not serving alcohol (whether or not that was their choice).  They managed to create a kind of nightlife that doesn't involve puking, car crashing, or awkward hooking up.  And another advantage is there's no such thing as 2am for them.  These guys can stay open till 5 in the morning (indeed they do when it's busy enough) and still be profitable.They also have some pretty decent food, but you have to see it as an accessory to the nightlife.  Definitely do not go just for the food, because as long as you're on Ventura Blvd there is plenty of better Persian fare to be found.  It's just pretty cool that the food menu is there as a viable option, to ensure that being hungry is never a reason not to go to the Spot.  And fortunately it's real Persian food, not watered down to please a larger crowd.The service can be slow when they're really busy but I can always tell they're really trying.  And I could tell five years ago when they weren't.  The Spot has come a long way from the deservingly unknown place they once were, and for that I give them a big hand as well.  The bigger they got, the more responsible and professional they got.  I watched this happen, and today I'm really proud of my baby.  Of course I don't go nearly as often now that I'm of age to do that other kind of nightlife, but I still love to go back with old high school friends to reminisce.

by Dmitry K.

Aaaaaahhh The infamous Spot!! If you grew up in the valley you are bound to meet a friend from high school, and probably a lot of people you don't want to see again. If you have gone to the Spot before we are all familiar with the walk of shame. It is the walk you do from one side of the restaurant all the way down to the shady bathroom. The walk for some reason makes you the center of attention and everyone seems to be staring at you for better or for worse.I still do not understand why this place is always packed. It is an outside patio squeezed in between a furniture store and other restaurants. The manager is a hard worker and really tries to get things in order.  However, the location is kinda weird.  The manager actually told us to keep it down so we will not wake up the neighbors. Perhaps this is the closest thing to Night life in the San Fernando Valley. On weekends, this place is always packed. They always seem to run out of random stuff like honey, or lemons. On busy days, the service is horrible. You really have to flag down the hookah man/man with fire to change the coals or fix your hookah. Even worse than that the bill is pretty hefty. I do not think paying 17$ for a hookah is all that much these days unless other factors such as service and quality are up to par. Their kebabs,  fries, sampler platters, as well as hookah flavor are definitely not the worst, but nothing special. They also have carpet sitting, which is basically a long wide bench covered with a carpet filled with dirt and hookah burns. Make sure to ask for a table.  Despite all these things, the Spot truly lives up to its name. Everyone who has grown up in the Valley knows about the Spot.  When college students come back to the Valley for breaks, they hit up the spot. When your looking for a place to kick it with your friends, or if you need to kill time before or after the bars, the Spot is definitely the place to be.

by dirty f.

Hey, do you like to sit with a bunch of sullen, bored teenagers and get cancer and bad service from angry middle eastern men? Then the spot is for you! This place is so god awful that I cannot begin to describe how similar it is to hell without weeping and having to be escorted back to my bedroom by my man servant, Theo. The hookahs are FILTHY, the food tastes like turds, and the bathroom is absolutely atrocious (9 times out of 10 it's covered in puke). The mongloid man-child that cavorted around replacing the coals for the hookahs dropped hot embers on my friends twice in one night! After that, the waitress shorted us about 20 dollars on our bill and the manager didn't care. He told us that he always takes the waiters side and that we were out of luck. Or at least he tried to tell us, he is nearly impossible to understand unless you happen to speak Farsi.  As far as the food... well let's just say I would rather eat off of the toilet seat at Burger King than put one of their filthy chicken fingers in my mouth. If you are into authenticity, however, the Spot may hold something for you. The hookahs are so poorly made that you would swear they were crafted by the incompetent and unindustrialized hands of a Moroccan artisan. It's as close as you can get to being in the third world without actually wasting 300 dollars to get there. Yes, there are people that like The Spot. These people have no lives and make a big night out of sitting around a dangerously teetering vase with flaming coal at the top, puffing on tobacco that tastes just like dry grass. Damn I hate the Spot.UPDATE: 1 year later: Seriously, this place still sucks as much as when I first wrote that review. It's like going onto a patio full of angry looking, rude Middle Eastern immigrants who glare hatefully at you and spend the rest of the night smoking and whistling at women that pass by. Ladies beware, this is like a snake pit of potential acquaintance rapists. There is a 90% chance of you either being roofied or followed out to your car and molested.

by Monica G.

It really is sad if you make your trip to The Spot the highlight of your night. This is a place, 60% Persian, 25% Latino, and the rest American. While the ages totally range from what appears to be 15 (although keep in mind you have to, legally, be 18 to smoke) to 65, it's still only a place you should go to if you're here to relax from a place (ie: a club or big party) that was bigger. Although they play techno music softly in the background, most people are here to smoke hookah (water pipes filled in with flavoured tobacco; tobacco include names like "paris hilton"), socialize, eat a little persian entree, drink tea, or, evidently, play chess. Although earlier this year Hookah Bars became the latest craze, they have luckily, finally, died down. This place is open late but I'd probably not go again. Hookah  is lame unless it's your culture, i guess. BORING.